Where is your hometown?

Omaha, NE

Where did you obtain your bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and what were your majors?

I got my BA in Psychology from Creighton University and my PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Iowa.

What first interested you in social psychology?

I took a social psychology class as a freshman in college and was intrigued by how applicable the content was to my daily life.
Then I got involved in a research lab as a sophomore, and I was amazed to discover that—through research—I could ask and answer my own questions about the world.
For these two reasons, I had my heart set on becoming a social psychologist fairly early in my college career.

What brought you to Ball State?

After being in the Northeast for a research-only postdoc position, I missed the Midwest and I missed teaching. I wanted a job closer to home that would allow me to do a mix of teaching and research, ideally with friendly and supportive colleagues.
My interview at Ball State last spring convinced me that this position would have everything I wanted!

Please describe your role within the department.

This semester I’m teaching a graduate course on social psychology, and I’m excited to teach courses on research methods and stereotypes and prejudice in future semesters.
I’m also spending this semester getting my research lab up-and-running.
I hold weekly lab meetings for students from the department in which we read and discuss recent research articles on the topics of stereotypes and prejudice.
I’m also excited to mentor students through the research process very soon!

What are your research and teaching interests?

I study stereotypes and prejudice, with a specific interest in stereotypes at the intersection of race, gender, and other social identities.
Because of my research interests, I love teaching courses on stereotypes and prejudice and the psychology of gender.
I also think a solid understanding of research methods and statistics is important for everyone, psychologist or not, so I enjoy teaching those classes as well.

Outside of academia, what are your favorite hobbies?

I spend a lot of my free time at home watching movies and binging Netflix, but I also like to road bike and play board games.

What song would say best sums you up?

My answer would probably change every day, but right now I’ll say “I love my dog” by Cat Stevens since I recently adopted a dog from the shelter and we spend a lot of time together.

What fictional place would you most like to visit?

Hogwarts! I’m a big Harry Potter fan.

What movie have you watched the most?

“Titanic.” My sister and I have watched it together so many times that we know every word and frequently have quote-alongs.

How do you practice self care?

I carve out time each week to have long phone conversations with my friends who live far away. It’s really important to me to maintain those friendships, and my friends do a great job of loving and supporting me, even from a distance.